Plants That Peak in Winter in the Mid-Atlantic

Richie Steffen , executive director of the Elisabeth C. Miller Garden in Seattle and a leading expert on plants , discusses the often - devalue appeal of winter gardens :

“ What many see as a dark and inhospitable season of dim dormancy , however , I regard as a chilly continuation of my horticulture season . There are many reliable plant that will tolerate , even looktheir good , during the glacial days of winter . While winter garden may run short of flower , specially in insensate climates , there is a grand selection of evergreen leaf , interesting barque , and richly colored twig that can make anyone ’s wintertime brighter . ”

To give winter even more of the love it deserves , we asked some regional expert to pick their favorite plants that extremum in winter . Find fantastic plant for wintertime interest in the Mid - Atlantic below , and discover even more plants that top in wintertime in Richie ’s article , Winter Interest From the Ground Up .

1. Blackberry lily

Name:Iris domestica

Zones:5–10

Size:2 to 4 feet tall and 12 to 18 inches wide

Conditions : Full sun ; fair , well - drained dirt

Native range : Eastern Asia

Blackberry lily would earn a place in the garden for its summertime show alone : branching stems that carry single orange flowers with darker orangeness to ruby-red smear , have over fans of swordlike , easy green folio . Each bloom live only one day ; when it ’s done , it coil closed . Below it , a puff - up fuel pod develops , turning from light green to light tan and finally split up in surrender to reveal an stretch , blackberry - like bunch of shining , black , rounded seeds . These showy seed psyche ironical in post and stick around into the winter — my favorite time of year to see them . They really stand up out against a layer of snow or a light - gloss paries or fencing , particularly if you permit them self - sow to organise a good - size drift .

2. ‘Dallas Blues’ switchgrass

Name:Panicum virgatum‘Dallas Blues’

Zones:4–9

Size:4 to 6 feet marvelous and 2 to 3 feet wide of the mark

Native range : North America

With so many ardent - time of year grasses that calculate tremendous in winter , it was challenging to prefer just one to play up , but ‘ Dallas Blues ’ switchgrass has to be my choice . I consider it the best selection so far of a beautiful species , with its handsome , jolly vase - shaped habit ; potent stems ; full , powder - drab foliage blade ; and fine - textured , pink - ting panicles start in early fall . As wintertime approach , the foliage dries to a rich orange - brown . The dried panicles stay too , shape a wispy swarm most of the clip but standing out when lined with nose candy or crank . Best of all , though , is the chemical element of sound ‘ Dallas Blues ’ adds to the wintertime garden when the dry out leaf blades rustle in the wind .

3. Berry Heavy®Gold winterberry

Name:Ilex verticillata‘Roberta Case’

Zones:3–8

Size:6 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 base wide

condition : Full sunshine to fond shade ; fair to moist grunge

aboriginal reach : Eastern North America

Winterberries are n’t peculiarly interesting during the arise season , with their medium green leaves that hide small snowy blossoms . Bees have no trouble finding them , though , and have a bun in the oven pollen from male plants to those with distaff blooms , which then produce the rounded berries . Shades of red and orange are most common , and all are terrific in the landscape painting or bring down for winter decorating . When I saw Berry Heavy ® Gold , I just had to add it to my collection . Though usually described as gold , it is more of a mellow yellowed to my eye — a distinctly different addition to the color palette . imbed it near ‘ Jim Dandy ’ or Mr. Poppins ® (‘FarrowMrP ’ ) to provide a pollen source .

4. Rattlesnake master

Name:Eryngium yuccifolium

Size:4 to 5 ft grandiloquent and 1 to 1½ feet wide

Conditions : Full sun to partial shade ; adaptable to moist or dry grease

If ask , pollinators would plausibly argue that rattlesnake master peaks during its summer blossoming period , when its stout stalks are topped with pollen- and nectar - pack flush . Arranged in separate clusters that front much like a grade - school solar system project , the flower heads start out clean , then gradually turn deep Robert Brown as the seeds mature through fall , then stay that direction well into winter . The distinctive semen heads counterpoint attractively with impractical grass seeded player head and are especially eye - catching when topped with midget dollops of snow . Even after hiss pick off the germ , reserve some to drop and ego - sow , the rounded center of each headland lingers until springtime .

Nancy J. Ondra is a garden writer and lensman from Bucks County , Pennsylvania . She blog and betray seeds atHayefield.com .

Photos : Nancy J. Ondra

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Plants That Peak in Winter in the Midwest

Plants That Peak in Winter in the Northwest

Plants That Peak in Winter in the Southeast

Plants That Peak in Winter in the Northeast

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